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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. bound — obliged
  3. bound — certain
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. key — the most important part
  6. swing — in golf
  7. key — in music
  8. bound — tied together
  9. rock — a stone
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. bear — the animal
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. bear — the animal
  14. swing — to play on
  15. key — for a lock
  16. rock — music
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. swing — music

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com